Well, I actually wrote this whole post about one of my latest creations, my clay tree-trunk tool-holder, a few nights ago and it was really good...I was quite proud of how eloquent it came out. But, when I opened another tab to start grabbing my photo links to add into the post, I came back and EVERYTHING had been erased. I was SOOOo pissed!

I've come back a couple of times to rewrite it, but....there's nothing there, you know? Just can't recapture that original post. Ugh, but I really want to finally just get this one out 'cause I've got some new stuff I've been working on and I'm eager to talk about those, but I want to stay consistent here, so....here we go, again....

A few nights back I became pretty inspired to finally create some sort of organization for my clay tools and paint brushes. I'm usually a rather neat person who likes to keep an organized work space, but as my situation currently allows, I'm working off of a small foldering card table next to my recliner, which is haphazardly strewn about with the various tools and materials I'm currently working with. I don't really like it, but it's what I've got to work with.

So, in a moment of inspiration born of 'need', I got the idea to finally make myself something to put my tools into. I'm crafty, so figured might as well make myself something cool and original vs buying something I may not really like afterall. Lol, and hopefully I'll actually like the thing I've made, too!

I sat down to try making it back sometime last week and it did NOT turn out well, at all. I was pretty disappointed and discouraged, so I wadded it up and went on to something else. I waited a couple of nights and tried again, this time learning from the mistakes I'd been making with my first try and instead, trying a different approach. Finally, success!!

-Being that I am still relatively new to working with polymer clays and creating things other than facial features, I feel I did pretty decently for my first tree trunk and my first go at doing a bark-texturing, too.

I used a mix of Sculpey's Original polymer clay on top of a flat base of Sculpey's Premo polymer clay - which actually worked out quite well.

All in all, I'm pretty pleased with it. I see where I would do things differently were I to create another one, but I'm actually happy with it. It's cute and it's functional - what's not to like!? ;D And, it got my tools off of my table, clearing up a lot more space for me to work with. :D

I just wish I'd made it bigger to accomodate more tools and brushes, but oh well... as I said, it's meant to hold what I'm using right now - which tends to be what I use most often, anyway.

I still haven't painted it yet, but that's coming. I can't help myself, once I create something I'm eager to move on to the next thing, lol!!

And so this draft of this post doesn't get erased on me, again...I'm going to publish it and then come back and add the photos during the edit.